Vegetarian and Vegan recipes...that meat eaters will appreciate as well!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Basil Chard Pesto

I had some swiss chard that I wanted to incorporate into dinner tonight, but I wanted something other than the ordinary saute treatment I usually give it. My friend, Gabrielle who works with me at the deli, and is an awesome vegetarian cook, told me that she had recently used chard in pesto! I thought this was a great idea, so I decided to give it a try! I had some basil as well, so I decided that it would be good with the chard to make the pesto taste more flavorful. I combined the leaves with walnuts, instead of the classic pine nuts, because I had a bunch on hand, as well as some garlic, lemon and olive oil, which is what I would consider all "classics" in basil pesto. However, tonight I wanted to make the dish vegan, so I decided that nutritional yeast and white miso would be added to this pesto instead of any sort of cheese. And I did not miss the cheese at all! In fact, this non-dairy version I liked better than the usual! I tossed my pesto with some whole wheat fettuccini, more toasted walnuts for crunch and protein, and some fresh roma tomatoes from my Dad's garden, and I had a satisfying meal! Chard in pesto was a great idea, and I have Gabrielle to thank for sharing it with me! Try this summer pesto out while chard and basil are abundant!

In a food processor, combine chard, basil, walnuts, yeast, miso, garlic, oil, lemon juice, sea salt and pepper to taste and process until smooth, adding a water to smooth out, and more if a thinner consistency is desired. Set pesto aside. Cook pasta according to package directions in a large pot of salted water, and when done cooking, reserve about 1/3 cup of pasta water, and drain pasta. Place pasta back in the pot, and combine with the pesto, walnuts, and tomatoes, along with enough water to thin out pesto to a smooth consistency on the pasta. Place on a serving plate and serve!

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About Me

I am a runner who believes in eating real food that nourishes the body and pleases the eye. I have an artistic mind, and I enjoy creating raw and plant based recipes. Good recipes are meant to be shared...and that is why I started blogging!